Nguyễn Văn Minh (1929-2006) was a general in the

Army of the Republic of Vietnam The Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN; ; ) composed the ground forces of the Republic of Vietnam Military Forces, South Vietnamese military from its inception in 1955 to the Fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. Its predecessor was the ground forc ...

(ARVN) during the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...

Military career

Minh entered military service during the First Indochina War in 1950 as an airborne officer serving in the Vietnamese National Army. Minh was dispatched to An Giang Province, in the

Mekong Delta The Mekong Delta ( or simply ), also known as the Western Region () or South-western region (), is the list of regions of Vietnam, region in southwestern Vietnam where the Mekong, Mekong River River delta, approaches and empties into the sea th ...

, and served as provincial chief until Diem's death in 1963. He was sometimes known as "Little Minh" to distinguish him from the much larger (physically) Dương Văn Minh, known as "Big Minh". In 1964, he became deputy commander of the 21st Division in the IV Corps Tactical Zone. In 1965 Minh was promoted to brigadier general and given command of the division. By 1967 Brigadier general William Desobry, the American senior adviser, considered the 21st Division under Minh the best in the ARVN. However the senior U.S. officer in IV Corps, Major general George S. Eckhardt, had recommended his dismissal, noting that he was "very temperamental and has frequently requested relief when under stress or when at odds with hecorps commander." Following the May Offensive of 1968, he was given the command of the Capital Military District by his close friend President Nguyễn Văn Thiệu. His uncle Trần Văn Hương served as Prime minister under Thiệu. Upon the death of the commander of III Corps, Lieutenant General Do Cao Tri during the Cambodian Incursion of 1970, Minh was promoted and became Corps commander. American evaluations, however, remained unchanged. Lieutenant general Michael S. Davison described him as "burned out" and "desperate", while Major general Jack J. Wagstaff reported that he was "over worked" and "highly emotional" ("as is well known") and that his decisions were "colored largely by his sensing of the moment. U.S. advisors found his performance during the North Vietnamese

Easter Offensive The Easter Offensive, also known as the 1972 spring–summer offensive (') by North Vietnam, or the Red Fiery Summer (') as romanticized in South Vietnamese literature, was a military campaign conducted by the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN, t ...

of 1972 "wanting." Following the offensive Minh remained in command of III Corps despite continued American insistence that he be replaced. On 27 October 1973 Thiệu transferred Minh back to command of the Capital Military District. On 3 April 1975 after Minh had served as ARVN inspector general Thiệu once again transferred Minh back to command of the Capital Military District.

Honours

National honours

VPD_National_Order_of_Vietnam_-_Grand_Cross_BAR

Grand Cross of the National Order of Vietnam

Foreign honour

* : **

Officer of the Legion of Merit **

Presidential Unit Citation (Army) * : ** Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown of Thailand

References

Army of the Republic of Vietnam generals South Vietnamese military personnel of the Vietnam War People of the First Indochina War 1929 births 2006 deaths Vietnamese emigrants to the United States Military personnel from Ho Chi Minh City {{Vietnam-mil-bio-stub